43 articles - From Friday Aug 05 2022 to Friday Aug 12 2022
Guidelines, position statements, white papers, technical reviews, consensus statements, etc…
| Ann Rheum Dis |
Consensus statement on blocking interleukin-6 receptor and interleukin-6 in inflammatory conditions: an update. Also addressed were other clinical aspects of the use of IL-6 pathway inhibitors, including pretreatment screening, safety, contraindications and monitoring. The document provides a comprehensive consensus on the use of IL-6 inhibition to treat inflammatory disorders to inform healthcare professionals (including researchers), patients, administrators and payers. |
meta-analyses and systematic reviews
| Rheumatology (Oxford) |
Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes prior to the onset of an autoimmune rheumatic disease: a systematic review. Our findings of an increased risk of APO in certain preARD highlights the relevance of an obstetric history during the first rheumatology appointment and the need for novel screening strategies to predict APO. Further research is required to elucidate the immune basis of adverse pregnancy outcomes in preclinical and clinical ARD. |
Sexual dysfunction in women with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sexual function in females with SARDs seems to be severely impaired, irrespective of the type of SARD. Screening and treatment of SD in females with SARDs should become an integral part of healthcare clinical practice. |
RCT, clinical trials, retrospective studies, etc…
| Ann Rheum Dis |
Behçet's disease risk-variant HLA-B51/ERAP1-Hap10 alters human CD8 T cell immunity. Objectives The endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase ( at the cellular level and point to an HLA-B51-restricted process. Our findings suggest that variant ERAP1-Hap10 partakes in BD pathogenesis by generating HLA-B51-restricted peptides, causing a change in immunodominance of the ensuing CD8 T cell response. |
Dissecting the histological features of lupus nephritis highlights new common patterns of injury in class III/IV. This study reveals new phenotypic forms of LN surpassing the traditional classes as determined by the current classification. Future validation and confirmation are required to confirm these findings. |
Distinct immune-effector and metabolic profile of CD8+ T cells in patients with autoimmune polyarthritis induced by therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Our study shows that CD8 from ICI-treated patients who develop a musculoskeletal irAE has a distinct immune-effector and metabolic profile from those that remain irAE free. This specific irAE profile overlaps with the one observed in CD8 from AA patients and may prove useful for novel therapeutic strategies to manage ICI-induced irAEs. |
Infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving tofacitinib versus tumour necrosis factor inhibitors: results from the open-label, randomised controlled ORAL Surveillance trial. Infections were higher with tofacitinib versus TNFi. Findings may inform future treatment decisions. |
Remission and low disease activity (LDA) prevent damage accrual in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: results from the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) inception cohort. Remission on-treatment and off-treatment, LDA-TC and mLLDAS were associated with less damage accrual, even adjusting for possible confounders and effect modifiers. |
Temporal trends in COVID-19 outcomes among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: from the first wave through the initial Omicron wave. The proportion of patients with SARD with severe COVID-19 has diminished since early in the pandemic, particularly during the most recent time periods, including the initial Omicron wave. Advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 may have improved outcomes among patients with SARD. |
| Arthritis Res Ther |
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial of infliximab in patients with juvenile-onset spondyloarthritis. Infliximab is efficacious for patients with JoSpA with an inadequate response to conventional treatment. No serious adverse events with the use of infliximab were observed. |
Does persistence to methotrexate treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis have a familial component? Our findings imply a familial component, including a possible genetic element, within the long-term persistence to MTX following RA diagnosis. Whether this component is reflective of characteristics of the underlying RA disease or determinants for sustained response to MTX in itself will require further investigation. |
Identification of TMEM129, encoding a ubiquitin-protein ligase, as an effector gene of osteoarthritis genetic risk. TMEM129 is a target of osteoarthritis genetic risk at this locus. Genotype at rs11732213 impacts DNA methylation at the enhancer, which, in turn, modulates TMEM129 expression. TMEM129 encodes an enzyme involved in protein degradation within the endoplasmic reticulum, a process previously implicated in osteoarthritis. TMEM129 is a compelling osteoarthritis susceptibility target. |
Prospective changes in diastolic function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. DD is prevalent in RA patients without clinical HF and increases to >50% over time. Higher RA disease activity at baseline predicted baseline composite DD. Future longitudinal studies should explore whether adverse changes in diastolic function lead to clinical HF and are attenuated by disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). |
Regulation of type I interferon signature by VGLL3 in the fibroblast-like synoviocytes of rheumatoid arthritis patients via targeting the Hippo pathway. VGLL3 drives the IRF3-induced IFN-ß1 expression in RA-FLS by inhibiting WWTR1 expression and subsequently promotes the type I IFN signature expression in RA-FLS through autocrine IFN-ß1 signaling. |
Targeting clock-controlled gene Nrf2 ameliorates inflammation-induced intervertebral disc degeneration. Taken together, our study extends the relationship between peripheral clock and IVD homeostasis and provides a potential therapeutic method for the prevention and recovery of IDD by targeting the clock-controlled gene Nrf2. |
The MCP2 and the wrist plus two extensor compartments are the most affected and responsive joints/tendons out of the US7 score in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-an observational study. The wrist, MCP2, EDC, and ECU tendons were most frequently pathologic and responsive to therapy in both early and established RA and should therefore be included in a comprehensive score for monitoring RA patients on patient-level. |
The risk of newly diagnosed cancer in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by TNF inhibitor use: a nationwide cohort study. The use of TNF inhibitors was not associated with an increased risk of cancer development, and rather associated with a lower cancer incidence in Korean patients with RA. Cautious interpretation is needed not to oversimplify the study results as cancer-protective effects of TNF inhibitors. A further study linking claims and clinical data is needed to confirm our results. |
Transcriptome analysis of immune cells from Behçet's syndrome patients: the importance of IL-17-producing cells and antigen-presenting cells in the pathogenesis of Behçet's syndrome. Various cells including CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, and antigen-presenting cells are important in the pathogenesis of BS. Tc17 cells and YBX3 may be potential therapeutic targets in BS. |
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and its outcomes in an aging society: a single-center cohort study in Japan from 2011 to 2020. Intensive pharmacological treatment contributes to not only control of disease activity but also the improvement of physical activity and QOL, even in elderly patients. Relieving age-related physical impairment and depression may improve the QOL of very elderly RA patients. |
| Arthritis Rheumatol |
The impact of temporary methotrexate discontinuation for 1 week versus 2 weeks on seasonal influenza vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Temporarily discontinuing MTX for 1 week is non-inferior to MTX discontinuation for 2weeks after vaccination to induce a satisfactory vaccine response to a seasonal influenza vaccine in patients with RA on a stable dose of MTX. |
| Rheumatology (Oxford) |
Comparing MRI and conventional radiography for the detection of structural changes indicative of axial spondyloarthritis in the ASAS cohort. Radiographic sacroiliitis of at least grade 2 unilaterally had Sn 65.2%, Sp 50.0%, PPV 78.6%, NPV 33.8%, LR+1.30, LR- 0.69. Structural lesions of SIJ detected by MRI demonstrated better diagnostic performance and better inter-reader reliability compared with conventional radiography. |
Human Dermal Fibroblast-derived Exosomes Induce Macrophage Activation in Systemic Sclerosis. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that human SSc dermal fibroblasts mediate macrophage activation through exosomes. Our findings suggest that macrophages and fibroblasts engage in cross-talk in SSc skin, resulting in mutual activation, inflammation, and ECM deposition. Collectively, these studies implicate macrophages and fibroblasts as cooperative mediators of fibrosis in SSc and suggest therapeutic targeting of both cell types may provide maximal benefit in ameliorating disease in SSc patients. |
Low dose rituximab is efficacious in refractory idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Rituximab improved IMACS core set measures and had steroid sparing efficacy at 6 and 12months in patients with IIM in this registry-based study. Rituximab as an induction regimen of 2 doses of 500mg can be as efficacious as 1g at 6months and 12months of follow-up. |
Mobilization with reduced cyclophosphamide for autologous stem cell transplantation is feasible in patients with systemic sclerosis. Our data demonstrate that a reduced cyclophosphamide mobilization regimen seems to be feasible. Risk factors for poor mobilization might be low bodyweight, prior rituximab therapy and cardiac involvement. |
Plasma proteomics identifies CRTAC1 as a biomarker for osteoarthritis severity and progression. We identified several compelling biomarkers reflecting overall osteoarthritis burden and increased risk for osteoarthritis progression. CRTAC1 was the most compelling and robust biomarker for osteoarthritis severity and progression. Such a biomarker may be used for disease monitoring. |
Probable role of exosomes in the extension of fibrotic alterations from affected to normal cells in systemic sclerosis. Exosomes can transfer their macromolecular content to distant target cells and induce paracrine effects in the recipient cells changing their molecular pathways and gene expression. Confirmation of this hypothesis may identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for extension of the SSc fibrotic process from affected cells to non-affected cells and may allow the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the disease. |
Pulmonary arterial wall thickness is increased in Behçet's disease patients with major organ involvement: Is it a sign of severity? We observed that PA wall thickness was significantly higher in BD with major organ involvement compared with patients with only mucocutaneous limited disease, HC and NIPE. These results suggest that increased PA wall thickness may be a sign of severe disease with major organ involvement in BD. |
Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with increased gut permeability and bacterial translocation which are reversed by inflammation control Rachel. RA patients have altered colonic tight junction proteins and increased serum biomarkers of intestinal permeability. There was a correlation between serological markers of intestinal permeability and disease activity as well as bDMARD response. These results suggest a link between impaired gut integrity and systemic inflammation in RA. |
Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with increased gut permeability and bacterial translocation which are reversed by inflammation control. RA patients have altered colonic tight junction proteins and increased serum biomarkers of intestinal permeability. There was a correlation between serological markers of intestinal permeability and disease activity as well as bDMARD response. These results suggest a link between impaired gut integrity and systemic inflammation in RA. |
Serum biomarkers in prednisolone treated hand osteoarthritis patients. Erosive disease was associated with higher levels of C1M and hsCRP. Biomarker levels were not influenced by treatment with prednisolone. Current biomarkers were not associated with response to prednisolone in hand OA. |
Specific enterotype of gut microbiota predicted clinical effect of methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Together, EGMI classifier was useful to identify precisely and effectively enterotypes of individual RA patients, which could effectively evaluate MTX clinical responses. |
Plenty of the editorials are available as full text through the publisher website using the provided link
Letters to the editors and authors’ replies
all remaining publications eg case reports, images of the month, etc…
| Ann Rheum Dis |
| Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) |
| Rheumatology (Oxford) |